International Civil Service Day - perspective Bangladesh

Dr Forqan Uddin Ahmed

Public service means rendering services, fixed and given from the government side, to the people of a particular territory. The General Assembly of the United Nations declared 23 June as International Public Service Day under a resolution accepted in 2002. In the same resolution the capacity initiative was emphasized in order to institution building, human resource development, strengthening budgetary system and utilization of ICT.

International Public Service Day has been targeted to materialize four objectives. The objectives focus to importance on public administration and its value. Secondly, it aims to the contribution and role of administration for development purpose. The third focus is to ensure the recognition of the public servants. And finally, it aims to promote interest in public service by the youths.

In these days, public service is highlighted through special arrangements by seminar and symposium by which the member states are highly inspired. This year, the message of the public service day has been taken as 'Transforming governance to realize the sustainable development goals'.

Government is committed to ensure good governance and to develop the lifestyle of the service delivery to the people, and public service has become part and parcel of good governance. Different ministries and departments continue their multiple efforts for its gradual development. On the other hand government is also committed to achieve SDGs within the time period. With this end in view, all the government functionaries aim to timely performance under a specific plan and propositions.

In conformity with the objectives of the public service day, Bangladesh too has been observing the day since 2017. In our country, the day is observed on 23 July instead of 23 June. Meanwhile the formal public service medal giving ceremony is being introduced to inspire the creativity and to speed up the targeted goal of development.

In this subcontinent, the modern public service administration started its journey from colonial rule but in the context of changed situation, it's structures and characters have been rapidly changed with the end of the colonial regime and achieving independence through liberation war, the state and people's relationship turns to a complete paradigm shift which has also influenced the changes in public administration.

After independence, the father of the nation said, "The government servants should be treated as part and parcel of people, again they are to be treated as their service provider friends and brothers. They must be with the people, for the people, by the people. They are supposed to work with positive mindset."

By the instruction from the father of the nation it has been embedded in clause 21 of constitution that every government servant who is employed must discharge the duty for 24 hours. It is noted that, recently the changes in public administration are very wide and remarkable which are also positive in nature. Modern public administration is mainly based on merit, creativity, patriotism and motto of service.

This motto of citizens must be given the topmost priority. For this reason the government services are now out and out dedicated to ensure citizens' service and solving the problems. The use of ICT has become a milestone and contributing a very catalytic role in providing the people's service.

Many imperative measures have been taken with less time and less expenditure. The young officers are doing the promising services in the field level and implementing those with new ideas and conceptions. Since a decade, many remarkable steps have been taken for transparency, accountability and responsibility.

Through information rights and its implementation people are easily getting any information. To render better service and to draw the real attention "the grievance redress system" has been introduced. As a result, people's sentiment and confidence have increased towards government.

To implement the culture of purity and honesty in all national life the culture of ethical traits in all government jobs are playing a very vital role for increasing transparency and accountability. In order to accelerate result from process and to give foundation of evolution process government has introduced performance management system since 2014.

Under this system the "annual performance agreement" is inspiring the government servants towards maximum output. In different sectors, the video conferencing analysis co-ordination, decision taking, instructional supports all are now easy accesses to the government servants.

The government servants through social media are directly link with public servants. A country can overcome all the hurdles and will be able to attain the sustainable development goal.

All sorts of exchanges, interactions and sharing are mutually transmitted. In a modern state, public administration is playing the role of policy formulation and its implementation. In the midst of many challenges and limited resources, there are many requirements which need to be fulfilled by the effective and efficient public administration. In the process of paradigm shift of new economy, there are risks and vulnerabilities for Bangladesh.

Both are of intensive in nature. On the other hand globalization, democratic practice and expansion of media and pluralism in society are flourishing worldwide and consequently citizens' right and service demand are gradually increasing. In this situation, to implement the theme of public service day, the public servants must be responsible and they must be pro-active to face any difficulty.

Moreover, they are to be quick responsive and do proceed with all arrangements and preparations for achieving success. Nowadays public administration is highlighted with all its comprehensive efforts for the betterment of general people. The public servants with the sense of their generosity and patriotism must come forward for achieving excellence.

They will create the roadmap for fulfilling the hopes and aspiration of people and lead the country to the rank of development. If public servants are cordial and sincere, they have the sense of dedication only then the message of the day will be materialized and successful.

Recently, the graduation of Bangladesh to a developing country has been recognized by UNESCO. The result of this recognition is a subject to condition how far our public administration will create the avenue on technical and specialization training. In this regard training always is playing a very significant role. Along with the training our mindset of officers must be changed.

With this end in view, the necessary infrastructural facilities are increasing. Only by quality performance of the public servants a country can overcome the hurdles and will be able to attain the sustainable development goals. The contributions of our public servants will make this journey of development a success.